THREE gardens from Worcestershire have won a coveted ‘gold’ award at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Worcester Bosch, Pershore College and the Alpine Garden Society have all won gold in their respective categories at the internationally-famous event. Pershore College’s gold was awarded in the continuous learning category – one of only four handed out by the judges at Chelsea.

The Beverage Botanics garden – which was built by students and lecturers – impressed with its design that tells the story of how plants have been used in beverages over the centuries.

It has three main areas – a modern wine bar showing how plants are used in alcoholic drinks; a street café, showing how plants are used in non-alcoholic drinks; and a warehouse area showing how plants and plant products are imported and distributed.

Landscaping student David Martino said: “This has been a great project to work on.

"It is so different from a normal garden but at the same time, we are getting skills and experience which will stand us in good stead in the world of work."

Lecturer Janet Prescott said: “Most people don’t realise but almost every drink – with the exception of some yogurt-based beverages – uses plants in its production. Our garden takes visitors on an educational journey.”

Fellow Pershore gardeners the Alpine Garden Society won their gold in the floral marquee category and Worcester Bosch’s garden – designed by Olivia Kirk of KKE Architects – won gold in the Urban Spaces category with its Power of Nature garden which took its inspiration from renewable energy.

“We are delighted and overwhelmed to win this award,” said Ms Kirk.

“It was great to have the chance to incorporate Worcester’s technology seamlessly among the planting design and wonderful that the judges liked the final result.”

Garden enthusiasts who have not made it all the way to London for the Chelsea Flower Show can still see the beautiful garden, when it is rebuilt at Worcester Bosch’s headquarters before its 50th birthday celebrations in 2012, forming a lasting space that visitors can enjoy for years to come.

In Herefordshire, the winners were

• Society of Garden Designers, of Ross-on-Wye – bronze lindley in the continuous learning category
• Hereford Flower Guild – silver grenfell in flower arranging 1st session
• Cancer Research UK, Kington – silver-gilt flora in the show garden cateogry
• Jenny Pickford, artist blacksmith, of Hereford – merit in the tradestands category
• Oak Leaf Gates, of Hereford – merit in the tradestands category